Channeler's Choice (7 page)

“
My parents went for a walk, there’s no one in the house but us,” she purred, breathing far too heavy. “This doesn’t have to be complicated. I can tell she’s not giving you everything you need. Most guys don’t consider oral sex cheating,” she went on.

Aiden shoved her hands from his shoulders and jumped off the bed. Her touch made his skin crawl. How could she say that so casually?

“
I’m only tense because you won’t leave me alone. Eren gives me all I need and more. I love her,” he said.

His energy was building like flood waters behind a dam. It took a lot of concentration to keep it under control. This was the first time he’d ever wanted to slap a woman. She sat up straight, her skirt so high Aiden was afraid she was about to flash her underwear at him. God, he hoped she was wearing some. Disgust helped him quell a bit of his anger and allowed him to push his energy down.

“
Please leave,” he said.

Bridget stood up and this time she did pull her skirt straight. She looked like she was about to cry and Aiden felt a small pang of guilt. But he was pretty sure that was part of her plan so he didn’t apologize.

“
Okay, but the invitation is still open,” she said.

“
Out!” he snapped.

Blond bob flying, she spun and left. As soon as he heard her footsteps retreat down the hall below, he pulled the ladder up and threw the deadbolt.

Seething with anger, he grabbed the sweatshirt off the end of his bed and threw it on. As he stormed to the window, he stepped into his shoes. Barely losing stride, he called up his power, opened the window wide and jumped out. The second his feet touched the ground he was running. With hardly any effort at all, he leaped the six foot fence and left the Murphy house far behind.

“
We must never forget that our kind were

once used in battle. There will be a time when we

will be called again, but it will not be to fight

for humans, it will be to fight for the Earth.”

~from
Life In A Society

Chapter 6

Snow still clung in spots to the shadowy areas of the forest, but a rare week of warm weather had melted it from the trees. Free of their frozen burden, the green boughs of the spruce trees lining the river were buoyed up, glistening in the sunshine. Water lapped beside Eren, mostly free of ice for the first time in months. She felt like the river, waking up from winter. The day was warm enough that after her and Aiden’s run, she shed her coat and was more than comfortable enough in her pale purple tank top.

Smiling, Aiden moved the thick braid of her hair back over her shoulder and leaned in close. After a long kiss that pushed the borders of chaste and sweet, they stood with their heads leaned together. Eren ran her fingers over the swell of his biceps, down the length of his forearms, and took hold of his hands. They were both still breathing heavy from run and she had to take a step back so the rise and fall of her chest wouldn’t bring her into contact with his. That would be way more touching than her restraint could handle.

The alluring mixture of brown and green in his eyes drew her in with the strength of a vortex. They seemed to glow with the light of his power behind them. Out here, alone at their spot by the river, it almost felt like they were the only two people in the world. The image of those eyes so close to her own, started to blur and she sighed and looked down.

From somewhere above them the sweet song of a bird rang out. Eren’s gaze followed the noise to a small black and white bird that sat on a branch nearby. She could both see and feel its energy, a small green glow that surrounded it.

“
It’s the wrong time of year for birds isn’t it?” she asked.

“
That’s a snow bird. They’re around through most of the winter,” Aiden said.

Seeing the creature’s energy made Eren wonder about something she heard last year.

“
How do our kind control animals?”

Aiden moved behind her and slid his arms around her waist. The warmth of his body seeped into hers, making her aware of how chilly the air was.

“
You can feel the bird’s energy, right?” he asked.

“
Um hmm.” She could, but at that moment the bird’s energy wasn’t what she was focusing on feeling. Having the length of his body pressed against her back was very distracting.

“
Gently, try to will the bird’s energy toward you,” he said. There was a hint of laugher in his voice, as if he knew the effect he had on her.

Holding out her hand, Eren envisioned pulling the bird’s energy to her like inhaling a breath. It dove from the branch and flew to her, landing on her outstretched hand. Tiny talons bit at her flesh as it struggled to hold on while fluttering its wings. A moment later it tucked them in and sat shaking so badly that Eren feared it may fall.

“
Think soothing thoughts and pour a little of your energy on it to calm it down,” Aiden said.

She did as he instructed and the small bird stopped shaking almost instantly. It perked up and looked at Eren with its head cocked. The soft, smooth appearance of its feathers tempted her to touch it, but she resisted, not wanting to frighten it again.

“
Do I have to be able to see it to control it?” she asked, wondering about the other birds that sang from the trees around them.

Giving her his half-crooked smile, Aiden held his arm up. There was a pulling sensation to his power but it wasn’t directed at her. Spruce boughs rustled all around them and feathery wings beat at the air. Close to a dozen of the little black and white birds emerged from the trees and alighted upon Aiden’s arms. Eren laughed and the birds started to sing as if in response. They soon quieted and Aiden’s energy switched from a pulling sensation to a slight pushing. The birds took to the air in an organized flock and disappeared into the trees.

“
Nope, you just have to be able to feel them,” Aiden said.

Looking down at the bird still perched on her arm, Eren was surprised to find that it looked content, and not in the least worried about the departure of the others. She released the gentle grip she had on its energy and lifted her arm to help send it on its way into the bright blue sky. Watching it made her wonder.

“
It would be cool if we could see through their eyes,” she said.

“
Some Rectors can.”

Eren’s heart pounded hard against her chest as she grabbed Aiden’s arm. There was no hint of humor or teasing in his eyes, he was serious.

“
Teach me how.”

Aiden laughed. “It takes years of practice, they say, and even then you can only see through the eyes of a creature whose energy you have controlled often and have mastered,” he said.

The excitement drained away and Eren’s heart slowed to its normal rhythm. “Oh.”

Sparks of energy trailed down her arm as Aiden’s fingers slid along it and took her hand. “Come on, we’d better get home. It’ll be dark soon,” he said.

Groaning, she let him lead her from the river’s edge and back to the forest path. She grabbed her jacket off the branch where she’d left it, and pulled it on. Shadows were starting to spread their way across the forest and they were bringing a chill with them. They’d spent the afternoon practicing channeling and Eren’s energy was left feeling too depleted to raise her body temperature.

As if sensing that she was cold, Aiden wrapped his arms around her. The heat pouring from him was more than enough to ward off the chill. How he could have so much energy left after hours of using his power to run then blow big rocks into little ones, Eren had no idea. Then again, the warmth she was feeling may have more to with him than his power.

A slight pressure settled between Eren’s shoulder blades as they wove their way through the black and white, leafless aspen trees. By the time they reached the spruce trees, she realized it wasn’t a pressure so much as weight, the weight of eyes. An icy feeling traveled through her, stirring her tired power awake. Pausing, she turned and cast her gaze across the forest. She couldn’t see anything suspicious, not even by looking for the glow of energy that existed in all living things.

“
Do you feel that?” she whispered.

Not relinquishing his hold on her, Aiden turned and looked in the direction she was looking. “Feel what?”

Eren searched for words that wouldn’t make her sound crazy, and couldn’t find any.

“
I don’t know. If feels like we’re being watched.” The way that sounded made her cringe. It was worse out loud than it had been in her head.

Eyes intense with a look she knew meant he was searching for energy signatures; Aiden scanned the forest around them. The muscles in his body coiled up like a spring, making it feel like she was in the embrace of a lightning bolt. After a few moments of looking around, he relaxed and his power pulled back to his center, leaving Eren feeling a bit exposed. His eyes softened as they turned to her and his brow furrowed. She knew what that look meant. He was worried about her being paranoid again.

“
I don’t feel or see anything. Are you having nightmares again?” he asked, his voice growing quiet on the last part.

A sliver of pain poked at her heart.

“
No, actually I’m not. I know how it sounds, but Aiden I swear, I felt something watching us.”

His brow creased deeper and his eyes darkened, becoming harder. With his energy pulled in so tight, it was hard to tell if he was worried that she was right or wrong. Either way, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

So they could make better time, she slipped out from under his arm and took hold of his hand. Once they started moving Eren felt the weight of a gaze settle on her back again. Resisting the urge to look back, she sped up her pace and stayed close to Aiden’s side. The lengthening shadows all across the forest now held more than just a chill for Eren. There was a menace to the darkness that she very much wanted to be away from.

When they stepped from the forest onto the road, she glanced back. Yellow fur and golden eyes flashed through the underbrush. Whatever it was, had been big, and it had been tracking them. It slipped back into the forest and disappeared. Fearing Aiden’s disbelief, she kept the sighting to herself.

Though it was over half a mile from his adopted parent’s home, Aiden insisted on walking Eren all the way to her grandfather’s place. After her glimpse of fur and eyes in the forest, she wasn’t about to protest. Upon arriving at the alleyway leading to her door, she found herself reluctant to let Aiden leave.

To delay him, she pulled him down for a kiss. Breathing heavy, he finally pulled back and shot a worried look in the direction of the kitchen window that looked out over the alley. Despite the fear that still gripped her, Eren let out a small laugh.

“
Don’t worry, he’s usually working downstairs in the archives about now,” she said.

“
Easy for you to say. You aren’t the one he’ll blow to pieces,” Aiden mumbled.

Hands on his chest, she took a step back. “That’s exaggerating a bit.”

A crooked smile pulled at one corner of his mouth. “You think so, huh?” he said as he leaned in for another kiss.

Light suddenly pinned them to the spot, as the porch light above them buzzed to life. Drawing in a sharp breath that took a bit of Eren’s power with it, Aiden leaped back. His wide-eyes drew a laugh from her.

“
I should get going,” he said as he walked backwards.

He stumbled on the last step, but recovered into a graceful spin that turned him in the other direction and carried him away a few steps. Laughter bubbled from Eren again.

“
See you in the morning,” she said.

Waving, he jogged down the alley. The growing darkness swallowed him after a few steps and shortly after that, the light of his energy turned the corner, leaving a queasy feeling in Eren’s stomach. Those yellow, predatory eyes from the forest flashed through her mind again. Surely it wouldn’t have followed them into town. Of course not. An animal wouldn’t do that. Chances were they had just crossed into its territory and now that they were gone it couldn’t care less. Fighting back the instinct to go after Aiden, she turned and went into the house.

The mouth-watering aroma of her grandfather’s homemade refried beans drew her into the kitchen. Humming to himself, he hovered over the stove, stirring a large pot.